At the meeting in Skopje, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Artur Lorkowski and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of North Macedonia Fatmir Bitici agreed to step up cooperation to accelerate the just energy transition, which coincided with the adoption of the final National Energy and Climate Plan by the Government of North Macedonia, following the Secretariat’s recommendations.
Director Lorkowski congratulated the Government of North Macedonia for setting a clear energy transition pathway by adopting the National Energy and Climate Plan. This reflects the country’s dedication to decarbonization and transformation of its economy and energy system to face the new challenges of the 21st century.
Deputy Prime Minister Bitici said that North Macedonia remains committed to its obligations under the Energy Community Treaty and the Paris Agreement, despite the challenges posed by recent developments. The Government’s adoption of the Energy and Climate Plan testifies to this. Moreover, several large and strategically important renewable energy projects that will ensure the country’s energy security and diversification away from fossil fuels are underway.
During his visit to Skopje, Director Lorkowski also met with the State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy Razmena Cekic-Durovic and the head of EU Delegation to North Macedonia David Geer. The meeting focused on the state of energy sector reforms in North Macedonia and advancing the decarbonization agenda in the face of the current situation on the energy markets. he invited all stakeholders to actively engage in an inclusive process of setting 2030 targets for energy efficiency, renewables and greenhouse gas reduction in 2022.
Director Lorkowski underlined that the present energy crisis is no reason to pause the energy transition but rather it reflects the urgency of accelerating the uptake of energy from renewable sources and phasing out of fossil fuels. Continued energy market reforms were needed to make the sector fit for the energy transition.
